The Science of ADHD

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Real Science Defines ADHD as Real Disorder

Some of the most prestigious scientific-based organizations in the world conclude that AD/HD is a real disorder with potentially devastating consequences when not properly identified, diagnosed and treated.

American Medical Association (AMA)Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents, April 1998Citation:Journal of the American Medical Association 279(14): 1100-1107, 1998Abstract

AD/HD "is a commonly seen neuropsychiatric syndrome that has been extensively studied over the past four decades . . . It should be noted that debate over AD/HD within the research and medical communities has been mild and mostly concerned with nuances in the diagnosis and treatment paradigms. By contrast, highly inflammatory public relations campaigns and pitched legal battles have been waged (particularly by groups such as the Church of Scientology) that seek to label the whole idea of AD/HD as an illness a "myth" . . . It is thus most important to separate legitimate concerns raised by scientific papers from abstract, distorted, or mendacious information from other sources."

Surgeon General of the United StatesMental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, December 1999Full Text

Chapter Three (Children and Mental Health), Section Four is devoted entirely to the science of AD/HD. "AD/HD, which is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder of childhood, occurs in 3 to 5 percent of school-age children . . . The exact etiology of AD/HD is unknown, although neurotransmitter deficits, genetics, and perinatal complications have been implicated . . . The dopamine hypothesis has thus driven much of the recent research into the causes of AD/HD."

National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Institute of Mental Health Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD, December 1999Citation: Archives of General Psychiatry 56(12): 1073-86, 1999Summary Q&AAbstract: Click here

This landmark study is "the first major clinical trial to look at childhood mental illness and the largest NIMH clinical trial to date."

"Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity)."

Roughly 100 scientists from the international community created the consensus statement as a reference on the status of the scientific findings concerning this disorder. "As a matter of science, the notion that ADHD does not exist is simply wrong. All of the major medical associations and government health agencies recognize ADHD as a genuine disorder because the scientific evidence indicating it is so overwhelming."

"Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood."

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)Practice Parameters for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryIn Press, 2007 Summary

"Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence."

Practice Parameter for the Use of Stimulant Medications in the Treatment of Children, Adolescents, and Adults, June 2001Citation: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 41(2 Suppl): 26S-49S, 2002Summary

"Long thought of as a childhood disorder, AD/HD is now known to persist into adolescence and adulthood."

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MinnesotaUtilization and Costs of Medical Care for Children and Adolescents with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, January 2001Citation: Journal of the American Medical Association 285(1): 60-6, 2001Summary

"Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common behavioral disorder of childhood, with important consequences for affected individuals, their families, and society."

According to Mayo researchers, this study is the largest population-based study of the occurrence of ADHD to date and "it indicates that this disorder is commonly seen in children between the ages 5 and 19 years."